Sudan makes arrests after foiled 'sabotage attempt'

KHARTOUM (REUTERS) - Sudan's security services thwarted a "sabotage attempt" led by opposition forces and arrested a number of civilian and military figures in connection with the incident early on Thursday, state-linked media reported.

Witnesses said they saw tanks and armoured vehicles moving down a major street in central Khartoum, the capital, around midnight.

Sudan, ruled by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir since he seized power in a 1989 coup, has avoided the massive political upheaval that has convulsed other Arab countries over the last two years.

But the secession of oil-producing South Sudan last year and an ensuing economic crisis emboldened some opposition activists to call for protests and, analysts say, exacerbated divisions in the government.